Happy August, JM Club Members!

The vineyards look great as we prepare for our twenty-seventh harvest. I want to share some of my thoughts about our wine industry, but first I would like to update you on the note I sent a while ago about selling Margaret’s Vineyard. The note spurred a lot of questions, including whether Peggy and I are retiring. You can’t get rid of us that easily! We are completely committed to JM and retirement is far from our minds. I want to make wine the rest of my life and I love having you, our club members, with me on that journey.

Our exploration into selling Margaret’s was due to the pressures we experienced coming out of the 2022 vintage. Statewide, the grape yield for 2022 was 36% larger than the previous two vintages. Honoring all of our vineyard contracts meant paying for more fruit, more barrels, and more labor. JM has fifty-two fantastic employees, whose jobs we will always do our best to prioritize. After months of preparing to sell Margaret’s Vineyard to pay for 2022’s harvest expenses, our team found permanent solutions to improve cash flow. Gratefully their efforts put us in a position to keep the vineyard, and on June 29th of this year, our family enjoyed a magical evening at Margaret's; the wedding of Tommy and his (now) wife Jenn.

I want to personally thank you for your concern and support as we went through this difficult process. I believe we are a stronger company having weathered the storm and I look forward to working alongside JM’s fantastic team well into the future.

Our industry is full of great people. A friendly competition exists, but it is embedded in support, collaboration, and fun times together. Peggy and I enjoyed seven days on a Rhône River cruise last Spring with Morgan Lee (II Vintners Winery), Chris Peterson (Avennia Winery), and Sean Boyd (Rotie Cellars). We shared stories, tasted lots of great wine together, and toured some of the most beautiful vineyard areas in the world. I continue to feel that Washington State’s wine industry is in its infancy. Most small wineries are owned by families who are striving to make the best wines in the world. I am optimistic about the future of our industry and will continue to enjoy the camaraderie and good vibes we have today.

Thank you to everyone in the wine club for your continued friendship. Peggy and I look forward to serving you some great new wines at the August release.

Cin Cin,